Corbyn wears shirt made by family firm

A unique sports and leisure wear company based in Pegswood made the special shirt worn by the Labour Party leader on Saturday.

Jeremy Corbyn put it on during the Durham Miners’ Gala. On the back is his surname and the number 10, reflecting the aspiration of him and the party that he will become Prime Minister following the next General Election.

The back of the shirt.

It has Marras on the front and back because this miners’ term of affection for a trusted friend is associated with the Friends of Durham Miners’ Gala, which commissioned the shirt.

It was made by Miner Wear. The family-business was started in 2014 by Ashington resident Graham Murdie – he wanted to capture the region’s mining heritage and honour his grandfather, John Gillespie, who was a proud coal miner.

One of the first items made incorporated the names of all the Northumberland collieries on January 1, 1947, when the British coal industry was nationalised.

After two years of outsourcing its production to a factory in Cheshire, Graham decided the time was right to bring the company under one roof and so production now takes place at a unit on the Pegswood Industrial Estate, which sits on the former site of Pegswood Colliery.

The front of the shirt.

Not only did it mean Miner Wear could offer customers more of a choice, it also meant that the business could lower its prices across the range.

Graham designs the clothes and his mum Carole stitches the final finishes into the fabric. Dad Trevor is also a partner in the company.

Trevor said: “We were all elated to see the pictures of Jeremy Corbyn wearing the shirt.

“This is a nice boost for the business, which sources all of its materials from within the UK.

“As well as making shirts for rugby league clubs, including the Newcastle Thunder Masters team, we will be making shirts for Ashington FC in the 2018/19 season. We also do cycling jerseys and various types of leisure wear.

“We see our products as also being historical documents that have been inspired by the heritage and community spirit of the former pits.”